Gypsy Rose Blanchard says her partner Ken Urker died from an overdose – as she mourned the death of her “forever soulmate.”
Urker was found unresponsive in his bed at his Raceland, Louisiana, home by a family member Thursday on what would’ve been his 34th birthday, People reported.
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating Urker’s death – but Blanchard suspects he died of an overdose.
“I don’t know if it was intentional or not,” she said. “He was not in a good state of mind lately.”
Officials have not revealed Urker’s cause of death.
Blanchard told TMZ a substance was found — even though she had never seen Urker previously take drugs.
“I’m in disbelief. I can’t think,” she told People, speaking of his sudden death. “I’ve screamed until my throat burns.”
Convicted killer Blanchard — who shared her 1-year-old daughter, Aurora Raina, with Urker — said her baby’s father did not have a drug problem as she paid a glowing tribute.
“Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved,” she told the outlet He will forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase.”
Blanchard, who deleted her social media in early March 2024, lashed out at online trolls.
“Ken endured an unimaginable level of public scrutiny and relentless cyberbullying across social media platforms, including TikTok and Reddit,” she said.
“The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure.
“I believe the tremendous weight of that scrutiny and harassment had a profound impact on him, and I hope his passing serves as a reminder that there is a real person behind every screen, every headline, and every comment.
“Above all, Ken loved our daughter, Aurora. She is a beautiful reflection of his enduring spirit, and through her, a part of him will always remain with us.
“I will make sure she grows up knowing how deeply her father loved her and who he was beyond what strangers on the internet chose to say about him.”
Blanchard said Urker will be “deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten.”
“There are no words that can express the depth of this loss. I ask for privacy and compassion for our daughter, our families, and everyone grieving Ken during this incredibly painful time,” she said.
The couple met as prison pen pals while she was incarcerated for her role in the 2015 murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard.
They got engaged in October 2018 after Urker popped the question, just one year after meeting Blanchard.
Blanchard revealed the question wasn’t “out of the blue” in an interview with ENews she gave in August 2019 – the same month the pair split.
“He [Urker] held my hands close and told me how much I meant to him and he’s like, ‘I would really, really be honored if I could have your hand in marriage,’ and I said yes,” Blanchard said, describing the proposal.
Urker didn’t give her a ring as she received a silver band but that was confiscated by Chillicothe Correctional Center prison staffers.
While behind bars, Blanchard married Ryan Anderson in July 2022 before she was released on Dec. 28, 2023, after serving 85% of her 10-year sentence.
She and Anderson divorced in 2024 before rekindling her romance with Urker.
They got matching husky tattoos in April 2024 before Blanchard announced she was expecting in July.
“This was not planned at all,” she said in a now-deleted TikTok clip. “This was completely unexpected, but we’re both very excited to take on this new journey of parenthood.”
Urker announced the birth of his daughter on Jan 1. 2025.
“Welcoming 2025 with the greatest gift of all,” he said.
